The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-02-13


OF n Honest ead-A Long List oil
Productions From Work Comes
Weaith-Hisi ory and Statistics
IL the Indigent Soldiers Pension Bill
becomes law, there is one "old fank
who cannot claim benefit from its chari-
table provisions, And we are glad OF 1t.
He was a faithful soldier while Uncle
Sam needed him, he has been good
Democrat since he cast his first vote and
always a most useful citizen. But he
cannot draw a pension under that bill.
because he had sense enough to settle IN
Florida and he is now rich.
Granville P. Healey came to Florida
years ago, and settled in the northern
end of Volusia county on Lake Louise.
His place is now two miles from the
town OF Seville and directly on the line
Of the Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West
Railway, hut it was then in the pine
woods and this s'old Yank" had for
neighbors only lot of Crackers who
had few years before been ''rebs.'
Soon the "Major" was AS much part OF
the country as if he had worn "butter-
nut" himself, and on work and good COM
pany he has continued to thrive.
In 1876 Maj Hesley entered home
stead Of 1850 acres, put up rough house
and brought home his wife. He made
his selection in rolling upland covered
with pine, and for one mile it bordered
on beautiful Lake Louise. In 1877 he
set out five acres in sweet seedlings, two
years old, and budded these In '1s and
49, He then planted out nursery,
and from this continued to increase his
grove till he has now fifteen acres COW
cred with bearing trees.
From the beginning the place has paid
all expenses and given generous sup
port to- the owner and his family. The
field has yielded regularly from 800 to
800 bushels of sweet potatoes to the
acre, and from 10 to 90 bushels OF corn.
Excellen. hay has annually been made.
and this year it has been pronounced by
Western visitors to be equal to the best
Northern product. Fine mules and
blooded horses and cows are kept, and
no other hay has been bought during the
year Just past. The cows have had
nothing purchasedfor them except bran,
and yet one Ayrshire and one Jersey
have kept in excellent condition and
given from four to six quarts Of rich
milk per day.
Yet this is pine land which, for the
first eight years of cultivation, received
no fertilizer except that compOsted on
the place. During the winter Of $3.50
it produced. besides the regular crops
and fruit, $500 worth of straw berries
and 5000 worth of cabbages actually
sold. And no n after at what season we
eat dinner with the Major we always
find on his table great variety Of deli
cious vegetables. These, with the hay
stacked in the open air and the fine
horses and cows, give the place the ap-
pearance of Western farm.
Besides the fruits of the citrus family
we find here figs, guavas. mulberries,
pineapples and raspberries and blackber-
es. There is fine orchard of peen-to
ach trees two years old, now bearing.
covering two acres. There is also one
acre Of Leconts pears two years old and
quarter of an acre of Japan plums of
the same age. Lately set there are two
hundred peaches of different varieties,
fifty Kelsey plums, together with pecans
and japanese persimmons.
We have found no pleasanter exper-
fence in Florida than that involved in a
visit to Major Healey. His blooded team
was waiting for US at Seville and at a
three minute gait we dashed OFT for the
shores of Lake Louise. Over rolling
hillocks. through the sweet-scented pines
and past blue lakelets hiding their mod
est beauties under masks of lily leaves
We swept, while we listened to reminis-
c-nces which included In one view
bloody charges on the battle field and
struggles for Charley Dougherty. Their
We passed through the grove where .50t
boxes OF oranges still hang on the tree.
untouched by cold in February, and
walked up to a houee ideally perfect. Il
is built as all dwellings in the South
should be-there are fourteen lofty
rooms. around all swept broad piazza
and the windows dropped to the floors
On one side at a short distance magniti
cent roses occupied places of honor. bu
"A thousand other flowers to us unknown
by name showed masses OF brilliant col
or: on the other side were beautiful Gro
quet and lawn tennis grounds. At tn,
foot OF all lay the dimpling loveliness o
Lake Louise, and our view was closed il
by the solemn grandeur Of the loft
pines.
To create such home even in Florid
more than work is needed-not eve
Major Healey could do it SO perfectl
without the taste and touch of the wife
and mother. But it has been done an
the owners are worthy of their dwelling
place.